St. Martin Parish, Louisiana

{{short description|Parish in Louisiana, United States}} {{Use American English|date=June 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}} {{Infobox U.S. county | county = Saint Martin Parish | state = Louisiana | type = Parish | founded year = 1811 | founded date = | seat wl = St. Martinville | largest city wl = Breaux Bridge | area_total_sq_mi = 816 | area_land_sq_mi = 738 | area_water_sq_mi = 79 | area percentage = 9.7 | population_as_of = 2020 | population_total = 51767 | pop_est_as_of = 2025 | population_est = 51106 {{loss}} | population_density_sq_mi = auto | time zone = Central | footnotes = | web = https://www.stmartinparish.net/ | named for = St. Martin | ex image = St. Martin Parish Courthouse, St. Martinville, Louisiana.jpg | ex image cap = St. Martin Parish Courthouse, St. Martinville | district = 3rd | ex image size = 290 }}

'''St. Martin Parish''' ({{langx|fr|Paroisse de Saint-Martin}}) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana, founded in 1811. Its parish seat is St. Martinville, and the largest city is Breaux Bridge.<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> At the 2020 census, the population was 51,767.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=QuickFacts: St. Martin Parish, Louisiana|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/stmartinparishlouisiana/POP010220|website=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> St. Martin Parish is part of the Lafayette metropolitan area in the region of Acadiana, along the Gulf Coast.

==History== In 1811, parts of Attakapas Parish were taken out to create St. Martin and St. Mary parishes. In 1824, the Louisiana State Legislature divided St. Martin Parish, resulting in the creation also of Lafayette Parish. In 1844, St. Martin Parish was again divided, yielding Vermilion Parish. In 1868, Iberia Parish was formed from parts of St. Martin Parish and St. Mary Parish. St. Martin Parish was divided into two, as part of Iberia Parish runs between the two non-contiguous parts of St. Martin Parish.

St. Martin Parish was largely colonized in the late 1700s by people from France and Acadia.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=St. Martin Parish History {{!}} St. Martin Parish Government|url=https://www.stmartinparish.net/about/st-martin-parish-history/|access-date=July 31, 2021|website=www.stmartinparish.net}}</ref> Their descendants have maintained the use of French and form a large concentration of French-speakers in the 21st century.

The Acadians brought the tale of Evangeline, a young woman said to have been separated from her mortally wounded betrothed during their expulsion by the British from their territory in eastern Canada. According to the tale, Evangeline later met her betrothed again in St. Martin Parish, but he had already committed to a new love. Evangeline never recovered from the shock of both finding and losing him again. Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's work, ''Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie'', was based on this story.

Evangeline was and remains an icon of Acadian and American culture. The historical Evangeline, who is believed by some to have been an orphan girl named Emmeline Labiche, was purportedly buried on the grounds of St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church in St. Martinville.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/southwestlouisia00perr|title=Southwest Louisiana, biographical and historical|last=Perrin|first=William Henry|date=1891|publisher=New Orleans : Gulf Publishing Co.|others=The Library of Congress}}</ref>

St. Martin became a very prosperous parish, growing rapidly in the early 1800s. Most of the revenue at that time was being made by raising cattle. Planters also had profitable commodity crops such as cotton, sugar, corn, rice, and tobacco. These were sold to the New Orleans market. Wealthy planters depended on enslaved African Americans as labor on their plantations. By 1860, there were more than 7,000 enslaved African Americans in the parish. There were also numerous Anglo-American slaves brought to the parish.<ref name=":1" />

A yellow fever epidemic in 1855, followed by a deadly fire and a destructive hurricane, ended an era of unbridled prosperity for elite whites. Combined with the effects of the American Civil War and Reconstruction, the parish elite struggled in the postwar years. The transition to freedom for African Americans was uneven, as whites soon tried to reimpose supremacy and effectively denying them the franchise.

==Geography== The parish of St. Martin is split into two non-contiguous parts because of a surveying error dating to 1868, when Iberia Parish was created by the Louisiana Legislature. Iberia Parish divides St. Martin Parish into two separate areas, Upper and Lower St. Martin. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of {{convert|816|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|738|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|79|sqmi}} (9.7%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_22.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 1, 2014|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928155956/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_22.txt|archive-date=September 28, 2013}}</ref> St. Martin Parish is in the Atchafalaya Basin, with Bayou Teche running through it. The bayou was used to ship products to New Orleans.

St. Martin Parish has a wealth of oak and magnolia trees.

===Protected areas=== The parish has both national and state protected areas within its borders.

====National protected area==== * Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge (part)

====State protected areas==== Part of the Attakapas Wildlife Management Area is located within St. Martin Parish as well as in St. Mary and Iberia parishes.<ref>[http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/wma/32640 Attakapas WMA]- Retrieved February 19, 2017</ref>

===Communities=== thumb|250px|Map of St. Martin Parish, Louisiana With Municipal Labels

====Cities==== * Broussard (partly in Lafayette Parish) * Breaux Bridge (largest municipality) * St. Martinville (parish seat)

====Towns==== * Arnaudville * Henderson

====Village==== * Parks

====Census-designated places==== * Cade * Catahoula * Cecilia

====Unincorporated communities==== * Butte La Rose * Coteau Holmes * Gecko * Nina Station * Ruth

====Ghost town==== * Atchafalaya

==Demographics== {{US Census population |1830= 7205 |1840= 8674 |1850= 11761 |1860= 12674 |1870= 9370 |1880= 12663 |1890= 14884 |1900= 18940 |1910= 23070 |1920= 21990 |1930= 21767 |1940= 26394 |1950= 26353 |1960= 29063 |1970= 32453 |1980= 40214 |1990= 43978 |2000= 48583 |2010= 52160 |align-fn=center |footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 1, 2014}}</ref> 1790-1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=September 1, 2014}}</ref> 1900-1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/la190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 1, 2014}}</ref> 1990-2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 1, 2014}}</ref> 2010<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/22/22099.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 18, 2013}}</ref> |2020=51767 |estyear=2025 |estimate=51106 |estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2025">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html|title=County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2025|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 10, 2026}}</ref> {{loss}} }}

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;" |+'''St. Martin Parish, Louisiana – Racial and ethnic composition''' {{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}} !Race / Ethnicity (''NH = Non-Hispanic'') !Pop 1980<ref name=1980Census>{{Cite web|title=1980 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Louisiana - Table 14 - Persons by Race and Table 15 - Total Persons and Spanish Origin Persons by Type of Spanish Origin and Race (p. 20/12-20/20)|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_laABC-02.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau|page=}}</ref> !Pop 1990<ref name=1990Census>{{Cite web|title=1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Louisiana - Table 6 - Race and Hispanic Origin|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1990/cp-2/cp-2-20-1.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau|pages=15–38}}</ref> !Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – St. Martin Parish, Louisiana|url=https://data.census.gov/table?g=050XX00US22099&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004|website=United States Census Bureau |access-date= }}</ref> !Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – St. Martin Parish, Louisiana|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=050XX00US22099&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=United States Census Bureau |access-date= }}</ref> !style="background-color: #ffffb3;" | Pop 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – St. Martin Parish, Louisiana|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=050XX00US22099&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=United States Census Bureau |access-date= }}</ref> !% 1980 !% 1990 !% 2000 !% 2010 !style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020 |- |White alone (NH) |26,322 |28,460 |31,813 |33,831 |style='background: #ffffe6; |32,919 |65.45% |64.71% |65.48% |64.86% |style='background: #ffffe6; |63.59% |- |Black or African American alone (NH) |13,070 |14,443 |15,464 |15,956 |style='background: #ffffe6; |15,050 |32.50% |32.84% |31.83% |30.59% |style='background: #ffffe6; |29.07% |- |Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) |26 |78 |136 |214 |style='background: #ffffe6; |177 |0.06% |0.18% |0.28% |0.41% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.34% |- |Asian alone (NH) |131 |310 |440 |393 |style='background: #ffffe6; |440 |0.33% |0.70% |0.91% |0.75% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.85% |- |Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) |x <ref>included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census</ref> |x <ref>included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census</ref> |2 |3 |style='background: #ffffe6; |3 |x |x |0.00% |0.01% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.01% |- |Other race alone (NH) |34 |185 |41 |68 |style='background: #ffffe6; |170 |0.08% |0.42% |0.08% |0.13% |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.33% |- |Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) |x <ref>not an option in the 1980 Census</ref> |x <ref>not an option in the 1990 Census</ref> |282 |624 |style='background: #ffffe6; |1,329 |x |x |0.58% |1.20% |style='background: #ffffe6; |2.57% |- |Hispanic or Latino (any race) |631 |502 |405 |1,071 |style='background: #ffffe6; |1,679 |1.57% |1.14% |0.83% |2.05% |style='background: #ffffe6; |3.24% |- |'''Total''' |'''40,214''' |'''43,978''' |'''48,583''' |'''52,160''' |style='background: #ffffe6; |'''51,767 ''' |'''100.00%''' |'''100.00%''' |'''100.00%''' |'''100.00%''' |style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%''' |} At the 2000 United States census,<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> there were 48,583 people, 17,164 households, and 12,975 families residing in the parish. The population density was {{convert|66|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 20,245 housing units at an average density of {{convert|27|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The 2019 American Community Survey determined 53,732 people lived in St. Martin Parish.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Geography Profile: Saint Martin Parish, Louisiana|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0500000US22099|access-date=July 31, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref> The median age of its population was 37.7, and 6.9% of its population were under 5 years of age; of the population aged 18 and older, they made up 75.7% of the population, and people aged 65 and older were 14.7% of the total population. By the 2020 United States census, there were 51,767 people, 19,749 households, and 13,960 families residing in the parish.

In 2000 the racial makeup of the parish was 65.95% White, 31.98% Black or African American, 0.92% Asian, 0.29% Native American, 0.20% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latino Americans of any race made up 0.83% of the population. The 2000 U.S. census counted 44,915 people in the parish who are at least five years old of whom 31,229 (69.5%) speak only English at home, 27.44% reported speaking French (Colonial French also known as Plantation Society French) or Cajun French at home, while 1.52% speak Louisiana Creole French.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=22&county_id=99&mode=geographic&zip=&place_id=&cty_id=&ll=&a=&ea=&order=r|title=Language Map Data Center|website=www.mla.org|access-date=March 6, 2018}}</ref> St. Martin has the highest percentage of French-speaking residents of any county or parish in the United States.

In 2019, the racial and ethnic makeup of St. Martin was 66.8% non-Hispanic white, 29.1% Black and African American, 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% Asian, 0.5% some other race, 2.1% multiracial, and 3.0% Hispanic and Latino American of any race. An estimated 1.0% of the parish were foreign-born from 2014 to 2019. At the 2020 census, non-Hispanic whites declined to 63.59% of the population; Black or African Americans were 29.07% of the population, and Hispanic and Latino Americans made up 3.24% of the population.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US22099&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 29, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>

In 2000 there were 17,164 households, out of which 39.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.60% were married couples living together, 15.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.40% were non-families. 20.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.22. The median income for a household in the parish was $30,701, and the median income for a family was $36,316. Males had a median income of $30,701 versus $18,365 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $13,619. About 18.40% of families and 21.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.70% of those under age 18 and 22.10% of those age 65 or over. There were 19,749 households at the 2019 U.S. census estimates, and 4,800 businesses operating in the parish.<ref name=":0" /> The parish had an employment rate of 53.8%, and its population lived in 23,384 housing units. There was a median gross rent of $658 and the median household income was $48,656. Approximately 18.9% of the parish lived at or below the poverty line, and males earned $51,609 versus $32,748 for females from 2015 to 2019.

==Education== Public schools in St. Martin Parish are operated by the St. Martin Parish School Board. South Louisiana Community College's service area includes the northern part and Fletcher Technical Community College's service area includes the southern part.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lctcs.edu/our-colleges|title=Our Colleges|publisher=Louisiana's Technical and Community Colleges|accessdate=June 3, 2021}}</ref>

==Politics== {{PresHead|place=St. Martin Parish, Louisiana|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=March 6, 2018}}</ref>}}  {{PresRow|1912|Democratic|68|375|139|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1916|Democratic|36|971|392|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1920|Republican|419|319|0|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1924|Democratic|172|461|23|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1928|Democratic|242|1,892|0|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1932|Democratic|107|1,420|0|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1936|Democratic|100|2,638|0|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1940|Democratic|602|3,252|0|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1944|Democratic|153|2,384|0|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1948|Dixiecrat|688|307|2,829|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1952|Democratic|1,554|2,012|0|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1956|Democratic|1,615|2,069|96|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1960|Democratic|858|5,506|699|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1964|Democratic|2,793|4,675|0|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1968|American Independent|1,625|3,321|4,759|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1972|Republican|6,337|3,202|682|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1976|Democratic|4,112|7,992|329|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1980|Democratic|6,701|7,760|579|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1984|Republican|9,698|8,589|304|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1988|Democratic|7,541|10,148|440|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1992|Democratic|5,909|11,252|3,265|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|1996|Democratic|6,296|12,492|1,948|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|2000|Republican|9,961|9,853|964|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|2004|Republican|12,095|10,321|408|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|2008|Republican|14,443|9,419|390|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|2012|Republican|15,653|9,422|358|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|2016|Republican|16,873|8,266|611|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|2020|Republican|18,203|8,439|396|Louisiana}} {{PresRow|2024|Republican|17,466|7,284|256|Louisiana}} {{PresFoot}}

==Transportation==

===Major highways=== * 25px Interstate 10 * 25px Future Interstate 49 * 25px U.S. Highway 90 * 25px Louisiana Highway 31 * 25px Louisiana Highway 70 * 25px Louisiana Highway 94 * 25px Louisiana Highway 96 * 25px Louisiana Highway 182 * 25px Louisiana Highway 328 * 25px Louisiana Highway 347 * 25px Louisiana Highway 353

==Notable people== * Scott Angelle, director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, former member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission, former lieutenant governor, and unsuccessful candidate for governor in 2015 * Calvin Borel, American Thoroughbred Jockey, and 3-time Kentucky Derby winner * Gerald Boudreaux, state senator for St. Martin Parish * Etnah Rochon Boutte, French teacher, and pharmacist * Jake Delhomme, retired NFL quarterback * Mike "Pete" Huval, state representative, and former member of the St. Martin Parish Council * Ali Landry, Miss USA 1996 pageant winner * Jeff Landry, Governor of Louisiana, former Attorney General of Louisiana, and former U.S. representative for Louisiana * James D. Simon, state senator * Jourdan Thibodeaux, Cajun musician, singer-songwriter, cultural activist, and entrepreneur

==See also== {{Portal|United States}} * List of Louisiana Wildlife Management Areas

==References== {{reflist|30em}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Saint Martin Parish, Louisiana}} * [http://stmartinparish-la.org/ Official website] * [http://www.cajuncountry.org/ St. Martin Parish Tourism Commission]

Geology * Heinrich, P. V., and W. J. Autin, 2000, [https://web.archive.org/web/20100628132302/http://www.lgs.lsu.edu/deploy/uploads/Baton%20Rouge%20100K.pdf ''Baton Rouge 30 x 60 minute geologic quadrangle.''] Louisiana Geological Survey, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

{{Geographic Location | Center = Upper St. Martin Parish, Louisiana Iberia Parish Lower St. Martin Parish, Louisiana | North = St. Landry Parish | Northeast = Pointe Coupee Parish | East = Iberville Parish     | Southeast = Assumption Parish | South = St. Mary Parish | Southwest = | West = Lafayette Parish     | Northwest = }}

{{St. Martin Parish, Louisiana}} {{Louisiana}} {{Authority control}} {{Coord|30.13|-91.61|type:adm2nd_region:US-LA_source:UScensus1990|display=title}}

Category:St. Martin Parish, Louisiana Category:1807 establishments in the Territory of Orleans Category:Parishes in Acadiana Saint Martin Parish, Louisiana Saint Martin Parish, Louisiana Category:Lafayette metropolitan area, Louisiana Saint Martin Parish, Louisiana Category:Populated places established in 1807 Category:Exclaves in the United States